Photo By Staff Sgt. James Hunter | A Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldier with Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Sgt. James Hunter
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Often with the sunlight hours behind them, Soldiers with Company B, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, set out on foot through the dimly lit streets of Shulla, once a rough neighborhood in northwest Baghdad, to locate and detain known criminals responsible for attacks against Iraqi security and coalition forces.
When they come upon the house of the known criminal, they immediately push through the home, clearing each room all the way to roof.
"Jack pot!" they call over the radio when the target is found.
"We have taken several bad guys off of the street, but it's not just the ones you detain, it's the ones that leave the area or just quit doing bad things that is the key," said Sgt. 1st Class Erik Jones, a native of Richmond, Ind., and platoon for 3rd Platoon, Co. B, 1-502 Inf. Regt., 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. "The bad guys are not stupid; they see that we, along with the (Iraqi army), are detaining the enemy and those that are disrupting the locals' way of life."
Jones said he believes their ability to quickly detain known criminals, is a deterrent to others from conducting criminal activities making life in Shulla safer for all.
Shulla, however, is a very different area than others in Baghdad. It was once practically unknown to coalition forces and very dangerous to those who dared to enter the area. However, it has been under the control of Iraqi army and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers for the last few months.
Prior to the flare-up in fighting from March to June, the fighting in Shulla was practically non-existent mostly due to the fact there was no permanent presence in the area as enemy forces moved freely throughout, said Jones.
During the time period however, the conflicts heated up as special group enemy forces fired constantly at coalition forces with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire.
Prior to the Soldiers of Co. B taking over the area, such levels of conflict were virtually unknown.
"We knew the units prior to us taking over spoke of it like it was the Wild West," Jones said. "After our first missions inside of Shulla, it turned out to be just the opposite. We maneuvered freely within Shulla until the uprising in March-June timeframe. We knew that there were plenty of (special groups) members there in Shulla; it was just a matter of finding them and destroying them – or disrupting their operations."
As things flared up, "the Soldiers of Bravo Company responded extremely well to the enemy contact," said 2nd Lt. Michael Stewart, a native of Savannah, Tenn., who serves as the platoon leader for 3rd Platoon. "We held our ground and defended the IA (checkpoint) without casualties and very little damage to the vehicles.
"We made it very clear to the enemy that if you came to fight, that you must be prepared to come and die for your cause," Stewart added.
As they defeated SG criminals within and on the outskirts of Shulla, they were able to push further into the area and successfully set up Joint Security Station Shulla.
Though they have established their presence within Shulla, "the timeframe for Shulla being controlled was, and still is, ongoing," said Jones.
They, and their Iraqi army counterparts, have made some serious headway in clearing muhallahs and establishing the joint security station, which is a sure sign the Iraqi army is continually growing.
Now, with IA and MND-B troops right in the middle of Shulla, it makes it harder for criminals to operate, store their weapons, harass and extort from the locals within.
"With us being here, the enemy is forced to rethink its game plan," said Stewart. "We are forcing the enemy to do what it is that we want them to do. We are controlling the (area of operation), and the battlefield conditions are being set by us."
The Soldiers constantly conduct combined patrols throughout Shulla, said Jones, focused on cache exploitation, reestablishing key infrastructure, building confidence in Iraqi army operations and taking away the ability of the enemy combatants still roaming the area.
"We are leaving no stone unturned right now. By doing so, it's disrupting the enemy's normal way of life," he said. "Since we have moved in, we have made no contact with the enemy, have exploited several tips from the local nationals and have discovered several caches of the enemies. If you take the will for the enemy to fight, it makes it that much harder to get what they are trying to get done."
Perhaps one of the most important factors to their mission in Shulla is winning over the local populace, said Jones.
It's a never-ending campaign really, where the thoughts and knowledge of the people play a huge role in the counter-insurgency battle.
"The best way to win the local population over, in my opinion, is respect," Stewart said. "We focus on doing so by doing little things, like not tearing their wires down and just talking to the locals and saying hello.
"We, along with the IA, have done missions to fix their schools, handed food to those who are in need and are trying to get key infrastructure fixed so they can, for the first time in a long time, go upon their daily lives," he added.
In reality, all the people want is some normalcy in their life right now, Stewart said.
As such, it is important for the Iraqi security and coalition forces to provide security, enhance the legitimacy of the local government, accomplish the goals they have set forth and discredit the militants. This, in the end, lets the locals know there is a better way of life at the end of the tunnel.
Their interaction with the people has been very positive, said Jones.
"The locals are talking to us more now then ever before. We are getting more tips and information of that nature from the locals then we ever have," Jones said. "We are also getting more waves and smiles instead of the "stink eye" we used to get. The locals living a life a normalcy is all that we want because if they are not, that means we aren't doing our jobs very well."
As a result of the Soldiers' constant patrols, for the first time in quite a long time in Shulla, people are leading a normal life, Jones said.
"The most significant thing noticed is that things are returning to normal. Shops are open along main roads late now instead of closing at 6 p.m. The locals are on the streets doing what it is they do," Jones said.
| Date Taken: | 08.17.2008 |
| Date Posted: | 08.17.2008 01:32 |
| Story ID: | 22581 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 316 |
| Downloads: | 125 |
This work, Strike troops continue difficult mission in once 'rough area' of Baghdad, by SSG James Hunter, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
